Future World Cups at Sovereign Lake are in jeopardy. While the
Sovereign Lake Nordic Club hopes to host the 2007 international cross-country ski championships, that’s in jeopardy because an event chairman can’t be found and support from a governing body has been lost. “Anything is still possible but it will take support from the Greater Vernon Services Commission and the provincial government. And I should say quick support,” said Brad Clements, Sovereign Lake Nordic Club president. “The event is 14 months away and it normally takes two years to plan.” In August, Cross-Country B.C. notified Cross-Country Canada and Sport B.C. that it could no longer back Sovereign Lake’s bid for the 2007 World Cup. The reasons were board changes in the club and Rob Bernhardt, who was key to the 2005 World Cup, becoming involved in the 2010 Winter Olympics. “It’s disappointing because we want the Cup here, but we understand that the World Cup is one level of event and the Olympics are another,” said Clements. Finding a volunteer event chairman has also been difficult, so that led Clements to ask the GVSC for assistance Thursday. He wants GVSC to provide funds for an events manager or for the agency to add an events person to its staff. Clements said that if World Cups are to be held in the future, local support is required as a way of getting the provincial government on board. “The provincial government will provide money to communities who invest in these events.” However, director Barry Beardsell believes the roles should be reversed. “The provincial government does lie quite a bit and exaggerate. They’ve told us about the lasting benefits after 2010. We want to work with them but they need to be the leader,” he said. However, other board members are convinced that World Cups not only bolster the tourism sector by filling restaurants and hotels, but they increase international exposure of the area. “The money we invested (in the 2005 World Cup) came back in spades,” said chairman Gary Corner.
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